The Internet and the world-wide-web allow people connected to the network to access virtually any other computer connected to the network. World-wide-web enabled software, referred to as a browser, allows users to view content residing on other devices connected to the network from virtually any device (e.g., a computer, a wireless hand-held device, a cellular telephone, etc.). For example, a user “navigates” to a particular site by providing a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) to the browser, and through an association of the URL with one or more network addresses (e.g., IP addresses), the user is connected to the site. Typically, the site includes one or more files (“web pages”) that are presented to the user in response to her request. The compilation of these files (and often the URL or URLs associated with these files) is commonly called a “web site.” In addition to including static text files, a web site can also be made up of multiple web pages (which in turn may comprise text and/or components from other web pages), dynamically generated pages, multimedia (e.g., audio, graphics, video) files, static objects, and executable components such as applets, scripts and the like.
As the Internet has evolved, companies realized its unique ability to reach and service a large number of customers (or potential customers) at a fraction of the cost of fully-staffed stores, live call centers, and conventional advertising vehicles (e.g., television, print, etc.) Once a company has a web site, it becomes desirable to attract visitors to its web site. On the Internet, that is typically done with search engines, or with advertising, in which ads are placed on web sites or in emails that direct users to other web sites. “Banner ads” take the form of rectangular spaces on a web page or other communication, containing whatever text or images an advertiser chooses to place within them. When selected by a user, the ad redirects a web browser from the web site or document that the user is currently viewing to that of the advertiser, or in some cases creates a new instantiation, window or tab of the web browser containing the target web site. Even more obtrusive are pop-up ads that appear on the user's screen and obscure the subject matter intended to be viewed when invoked by, for example, merely visiting a web page.
Though banner ads and pop-up ads are relatively inexpensive, users generally have no interest in, or reason, to click on such ads. Further, many users are sufficiently annoyed by banner ads and pop-ups that they will no longer visit web sites that include them, or install software that specifically targets and disables such ads. As a result the effectiveness of such ads is minimized.
There have been many different types of contests held over the Internet. There are games of chance and skill, as well as lotteries. Some web sites have hosted “scavenger hunts” in which users are challenged to identify information available on one or more web sites to complete a questionnaire. Typically, a user travels to a series of web sites and is encouraged to browse through the web site in search of information contained within that site. Upon finding the information and presenting to the scavenger hunt administrator (or other entity), the user is provided some form of reward. As such, the incentive for finding the hidden object functions as a typical banner ad would, by directing users to a preferred web site, and by causing them to search the site, increases the probability that the user will remain at the web site for more than some inconsequential amount of time.
However, such scavenger hunts require the owners and/or operators of the web sites to constantly update their sites with new “objects” for each new promotion or anytime the parameters of the promotion change. It also requires web site owners to promote or otherwise engage users to their scavenger hunt.